It’s easy to think of public discourse on climate like a boxing match: in one corner are the left-wing climate doomists, and in the other, the conservative right-wing climate deniers. Fundamentally, there is little to no commonality between them. Americans are forced into one corner or another, endlessly feeding an “us vs. them” mentality.
But what if the story Americans are telling themselves about the climate debate isn’t exactly true?
Since 2021, Rare’s Climate Culture Index has tracked how Americans think about, talk about, and engage with climate solutions. The latest edition of the Index reveals broad support across political parties for the climate policies we measured, with Republicans showing their willingness to act in support of them. The evidence suggests that Americans are more aligned, more supportive, and more willing to engage on climate solutions than our public discourse reflects, challenging the popular perception that climate policies are polarizing and divisive.
The surprising political story: Republican climate supporters are activating
Chart showing U.S. adult willingness to contact representatives about climate policies.In this 4th edition of the Index, evidence shows that willingness to contact elected representatives increased 3–5 points across policies in 2025. The biggest change is among Republicans who already support climate policies (see chart for policy categories). Their stated willingness to contact representatives roughly doubled across multiple policies (moving from about 10–15% in 2024 to 20–30% in 2025). Republican supporter mobilization is most pronounced on policies with deeper partisan divides, including EV incentives and increasing plant-based options in public facilities. It’s weaker on policies that already read as broadly practical and bipartisan, such as solar panel incentives and food waste reduction/date labels.
The shift isn’t because more people suddenly support the policies, nor is it a story of Democrats suddenly surging to action or proponents organizing; it’s because cross-partisan supporters are more willing to act and getting louder.
The “perception gap” is a political barrier, not public opinion
Similar to 2024, Americans continue to underestimate how many others support these climate policies. That underestimation is about 30 percentage points on average. The gap is especially large for community solar, where perceived support lags far behind actual support.
Other polling institutions have found similar results in their representative samples. The UK-based polling group, More in Common also uncovered a perception gap in climate policy support within their own party and across the aisle. According to their report, “Americans’ Environmental Blind Spot: Democrats and Republicans Underestimate Support for Environmental Issues,” the area with the broadest support was protecting public land.
“Highlighting these misperceptions matters,” the group stated in the introduction to their report. “Identifying and leveraging shared values around land stewardship and American leadership can create a strong foundation for making bipartisan progress on solutions to protect the environment.”
Conclusion: What these findings mean for governing
The political risk in 2025 isn’t that climate policy lacks public support. The risk is that leaders and constituents misread the room, assume support is fringe, and stay quiet. Lawmakers often respond to what they believe is “safe,” and constituents take cues from what they think their community supports.
Meanwhile, a key opening is emerging: Republican supporters of climate policies are increasingly willing to engage, especially on issues that are usually framed as culturally charged. That combination — high support, underestimated support, and rising cross-partisan engagement — creates a clear mandate for lawmakers and advocates to move from “testing the waters” to legislating, communicating, and mobilizing in public.
Calls to action for lawmakers, advocates, and policymakers
The findings of the Index can help guide actionable climate policies that speak to the reality of climate discourse among Americans:
For lawmakers
- Legislate to the majority. Treat these policies as publicly supported, not niche, and bring them to the floor with confidence.
- Name the norm. In speeches, hearings, and newsletters, state the simple truth: most constituents support practical climate actions (and many underestimate that fact).
- Invite supportive Republicans to be visible. Create bipartisan sign-on letters, co-sponsors, and local press moments that give cross-partisan supporters permission to speak up.
For advocates
- Close the perception gap. Make “you’re not alone” messaging central. Use credible polling stats and local validator voices to correct misperceptions.
- Prioritize supporter activation. Since willingness to contact representatives is rising among supporters, design campaigns that convert passive agreement into calls, emails, and town-hall questions.
- Target culturally contentious policies with values-first framing. For EVs and plant-forward options, emphasize choice, savings, health, and local benefits, then make it easy to act.
For policymakers and agency leaders
- Design for participation. Pair policy rollouts with simple, opt-in pathways for constituents to express support publicly (templates, one-click comments, “tell your rep” prompts).
- Message pragmatically. Lead with household and community benefits (cost savings, reliability, reduced waste), especially where bipartisan support is already strong.
To learn more about Rare’s Climate Culture Index, click here.
Want to dive deeper? Download the full 2025 dataset here.
Edited by Larissa Hotra